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Elizabeth and Philip's Wedding
Engagement Elizabeth and Philip are second cousins once removed (by descent from Christian IX of Denmark and Luise of Hesse-Kassel) and third cousins (by descent from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert). Elizabeth met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, in 1934 at the wedding of Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, and later in 1937. After another meeting at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in July 1939, Elizabeth – though only 13 years old – fell in love with Philip, and they began to exchange letters. They became secretly engaged in 1946 when Philip asked the King for his daughter's hand in marriage. The King granted his request providing any formal engagement was delayed until Elizabeth's twenty-first birthday the following April. Their engagement was officially announced on July 9, 1947. Before the marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and adopted the style Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, taking the surname of his mother's British family. The day preceding his wedding, King George VI bestowed the style His Royal Highness, and on the morning of the wedding, 20 November 1947, he was made the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich of Greenwich in the County of London. Wedding Princess Elizabeth and Philip were married at 11:30 GMT on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey. On the morning of her wedding, as Princess Elizabeth was getting dressed at Buckingham Palace before leaving for Westminster Abbey when her tiara snapped. Luckily the court jeweller was standing by in case of emergency. The jeweller was rushed to his work room by a police escort. Queen Elizabeth reassured her daughter that it would be fixed in time, and it was. For her wedding dress she still required ration coupons to buy the material for her gown, designed by Norman Hartnell. Princess Elizabeth was attended by eight bridesmaids: HRH The Princess Margaret (her younger sister), HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent (her first cousin), Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott (daughter of the Duke of Buccleuch), Lady Mary Cambridge (her second cousin), Lady Elizabeth Lambart (daughter of the Earl of Cavan), The Hon. Pamela Mountbatten (Philip's first cousin), The Hon. Margaret Elphinstone (her first cousin) and The Hon. Diana Bowes-Lyon (her first cousin). Her cousins Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent served as page boys. The royal parties were brought in large carriage processions, the first with The Queen and Princess Margaret and later a procession with Queen Mary. At Kensington Palace, Philip departed with his best man, the Marquess of Milford Haven. Princess Elizabeth arrived at the Abbey with her father, George VI, in the Irish State Coach. The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher and the Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett. The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC radio to 200 million people around the world. Elizabeth and Philip then proceeded to Buckingham Palace, where a breakfast was held at the Ball Supper-room. The couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from around the world and around 10,000 telegrams of congratulations. Upon their marriage, Elizabeth took the title of her husband and became Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh. They departed for their honeymoon in Broadlands in Hampshire, home of Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten. Guests Immediate family Elizabeth's family *''Their Majesties'' The King and Queen *''Her Majesty'' Queen Mary *''Her Royal Highness'' The Princess Margaret *''Their Royal Highnesses'' The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester **''His Royal Highness'' Prince William of Gloucester *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent **''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of Kent **''His Royal Highness'' Prince Michael of Kent **''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Alexandra of Kent *''The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Harewood *''The Honourable'' Gerald Lascelles Philip's family *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark *''The Most Honourable'' The Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven *''The Most Honourable'' Nadedja, Marchioness of Milford Haven **''The Most Honourable'' The Marquess of Milford Haven **Lady Tatiana Mountbatten *''The Most Honourable'' The Marquess of Carisbrooke *His Excellency Rear-Admiral The Right Honourables The Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma **''The Right Honourables'' The Lord and Lady Brabourne **Lady Pamela Mountbatten Close relatives *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone and Major General The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone *''The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Southesk **Lord Carnegie *Admiral The Honourable Sir Alexander Ramsay and Lady Patricia Ramsay *''Her Highness'' Princess Helena Victoria *''Her Highness'' Princess Marie Louise *''The Most Honourable'' The Marquess and Marchioness of Cambridge **The Lady Mary Cambridge *''Their Graces'' The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort *The Lady Helena Gibbs *Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith and The Lady May Abel Smith **''Miss'' Anne Abel Smith **''Miss'' Elizabeth Abel Smith Foreign royalty *''Their Majesties'' The King and Queen of Denmark *''His Majesty'' The King of Norway *''Her Majesty'' The Queen of the Hellenes *''His Majesty'' The King of the Romanians *''His Majesty'' The King of Iraq *''Her Majesty'' The Queen Mother of Romania *''Her Majesty'' Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain *''Their Majesties'' King Peter II and Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia *''Their Royal Highnesses'' The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Sweden *''Their Royal Highnesses'' The Crown Princess and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands *''His Royal Highness'' The Count of Flanders *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Margaretha of Denmark *''His Royal Highness'' Prince George Valdemar of Denmark *''His Royal Highness'' Prince Flemming Valdemar of Denmark *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Katherine, Lady Brandram and Major Richard Brandram *''Their Royal Highnesses'' Prince and Princess George of Greece and Denmark *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Eugénie of Greece and Denmark *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta *''His Royal Highness'' The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg *''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg *''Their Royal Highnesses'' Prince René and Princess Margaret of Bourbon-Parma **''His Royal Highness'' Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma **''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma *''Their Royal Highnesses'' The Count and Countess of Barcelona *''His Royal Highness'' Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia *''His Royal Highness'' Prince Andrew of Yugoslavia Category:Royal Wedding